Illegal Gambling at Hold'em Pub... Over 1,000 People Caught in 5 Months

It has been revealed that over 1,000 offenders were caught over five months for gambling activities at illegal operations disguised as Hold'em pubs (places where people enjoy card games while drinking).

The National Police Agency's National Investigation Headquarters announced on the 7th that they arrested a total of 1,004 people during a five-month intensive crackdown on illegal gambling activities at Hold'em pubs and similar establishments starting from August last year. Among them, eight were detained, and approximately 650 million KRW of criminal proceeds were confiscated and recovered.

Hold'em Pub. Photo is not directly related to the article content.

The number of arrests during the intensive crackdown period increased more than fourfold compared to the non-operating period (January to July last year, 226 people), and the amount of confiscated and recovered criminal proceeds increased more than sixteenfold.

Generally, at Hold'em pubs, players use chips received after paying an entrance fee to play games. However, exchanging these chips for cash or holding tournaments where entry fees are collected and prizes are awarded to winners using the entry fees constitutes illegal gambling.

In such cases, not only the operators running the gambling establishments but also the participants in the gambling activities are subject to punishment. Those who commit the crime of operating a gambling house face imprisonment for up to five years or a fine of up to 30 million KRW.

The police warned that some operators and users may participate in crimes due to a lack of awareness about the illegality of their actions and urged caution.

They also stated that they will thoroughly analyze accounts to confiscate criminal proceeds from business owners who operate gambling houses by employing dealers and other staff.

In particular, if there is organizational structure such as role division, they plan to strictly respond by applying charges for forming a criminal organization. The main offenders who commit the crime of forming a criminal organization face the death penalty, life imprisonment, or imprisonment for ten years or more.

Furthermore, the police emphasized that since illegal gambling establishments operate covertly by installing CCTV and using membership systems to avoid crackdowns, tips from related parties are crucial for proving allegations.

The police are actively providing 'Rewards for Arresting Criminals' to informants who provide decisive evidence. Starting this year, the related regulations have been revised to offer rewards up to 5 million KRW depending on the contribution.

Woo Jong-su, head of the National Investigation Headquarters, said, "We will work with related agencies in the 'Government-wide Illegal Gambling Response Task Force (TF)' to strongly crack down on gambling activities spreading in the daily lives of the public."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.